CITES Calendar

Type
Title Venue & Date Details
Twentieth meeting of the Conference of the Parties Samarkand, Uzbekistan
24 November - 05 December 2025
Seventy-eighth meeting of the Standing Committee Geneva, Switzerland
03 - 08 February 2025
Africa Regional Workshop on Electronic CITES Permitting Systems Nairobi, Kenya
09 - 10 October 2024

The objective of electronic CITES or eCITES permitting systems is to improve the implementation of the Convention by using modern Information and Communication Technologies to simplify compliant trade and to combat illegal trade. Implementation of these systems should not be considered as only implementing an ICT system. Rather, taking the opportunity to implement such systems, the Parties will not only be able to improve the procedures for application, issuance and control the permits, but generate annual reports, and exchange permit information. 

The objective of the workshop is to build the capacity of the representatives of CITES Management Authorities and other relevant agencies that are planning or interested in developing electronic CITES permitting systems in the African region. The workshop will deliberate on various guidance and tools available and discuss relevant issues that are considered challenging and need attention.

The workshop will be organized in-person only. 

Links for more details

CITES training workshop for the African region on demand reduction strategies to combat illegal trade in CITES-listed species Lusaka, Zambia
11 - 12 September 2024

This training workshop aims to build capacity for CITES Parties and their key partners in the African region in the use of the CITES guidance on demand-reduction strategies to combat illegal trade in CITES-listed species.

See Notification to the Parties No. 2024/063 for more details.

A link for online registration will be provided to nominees that have been accepted to participate in the workshop including participants to be sponsored by the Secretariat.

CITES LAF and NDF workshop for African rosewood (Pterocarpus erinaceus) Hotel Sawa, Douala 488 Rue de Verdun – Bonanjo B.P 2345 (Douala, Cameroon), Douala, Cameroon
02 - 06 September 2024

 

The Secretariat is organizing a regional workshop on non-detriment findings (NDF) and legal acquisition findings (LAF) for Pterocarpus erinaceus range States, at the request of the Standing Committee, in collaboration with Cameroon as host country.

The objective of the workshop is to catalyse at a regional level the implementation of recommendations under CITES expedited Article XIII and the review of significant trade processes for Pterocarpus erinaceus, through a theoretical and practical capacity building approach for the preparation of non-detriment findings (NDF) and legal acquisition findings (LAF) for the species. 

 

WORKSHOP DOCUMENTATION

Substance

Presentations

 

 

 

  • Taks Force on Illegal Trade in specimens of CITES listed tree species (English)

Workshop report

  • Draft report of the African rosewood workshop (as of 6 September 2024) (English)*

    *This draft will be the basis of the final report to be submitted to the Standing Committee at its 78th meeting (SC78, Geneva 2025).

Logistics

 

 

Thirty-third meeting of the Animals Committee Geneva, Switzerland
12 - 19 July 2024
Twenty-seventh meeting of the Plants Committee Geneva, Switzerland
08 - 13 July 2024
Technical international workshop on marine ornamental fishes Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (closed meeting), Brisbane, Australia
07 - 10 May 2024

This technical workshop is organized in accordance with Decision 19.237 on Marine ornamental fishes adopted by the Conference of the Parties to CITES at its 19th meeting (CoP19, Panama City, November 2022). The workshop will consider the conservation priorities and management needs related to the trade in non-CITES listed marine ornamental fishes worldwide, with a particular focus on data from importing and exporting countries, and will bring together members of the Animals Committee, representatives from range States, exporting, and importing countries, fishery stakeholders, industry representatives and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

More details are available in Notification to the Parties No. 2024/041. The registration deadline has passed and all participants have now been confirmed. No further in-person participants are being accepted, but participants can still participate remotely in the hybrid sessions.

Date and time

The workshop will be held on 7 to 10 May from 09:00 to 17:00. On-site registration for participants will open on 7 May at 08:00.

Location

The workshop will be held at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Cnr Merivale and Glenelg Streets, South Bank, Brisbane, Queensland Australia.

Workshop documents

Logistics note

Accommodation

Revised provisional working programme (Version 3 - 7 May 2024)

Provisional list of attendees (Version 2 May 2024)

Background study

International trade in non-CITES listed marine ornamental fish - Updated version of document CoP19 Inf. 99.

Summary Excel Table

Additional submissions

IUCN 

OATA-OFI. Developing an evidence-led species prioritisation framework.

Species360

MAPI project - Indonesia

Cefas (UK). Marine ornamental fish trade in the UK.

Baillargeon et al (2024). Identifying Species at Risk in Data-Limited Fisheries: A Comprehensive Productivity-Susceptibility Analysis of the Most Traded Marine Aquarium Fish 

FAO. Range of FAO and related data sources (Version 2; 9 May 2024)

Reference material

Baillargeon et al 2020. Improving the productivity-susceptibility analysis to assess data-limited fisheries.

Biondo M, 2017: Quantifying the trade in marine ornamental fishes into Switzerland and an estimation of imports from the European Union

Biondo and Burki 2019. Monitoring the trade in marine ornamental fishes through the European Trade Control and Export System TRACES: Challenges and possibilities.

Biondo and Burki 2020. A systematic Review of the ornamental fish trade with emphasis on coral reef fishes - an impossible task.

Biondo et al. 2024. An updated review of the marine ornamental fish trade in the European Union.

Bonanno et al 2021. The determination of thiocyanate in the blood plasma and holding water of Amphiprion clarkii after exposure to cyanide. PeerJ.

Breen et al 2018. Can excreted thiocyanate be used to detect cyanide exposure in live reef fish? Plos One.

Breen et al 2019. On the half-life of thiocyanate in the plasma of the marine fish Amphiprion ocellaris: implications for cyanide detection. PeerJ

Breen et al. 2023. The half-life of cyanide in the blood of the marine fish, Amphiprion clarkii after cyanide exposure. Cyanide Direct Capture.

Gerson and Remmel 2021. Report on use of the Nature Intelligence System.

Gillett et al. 2020. Aquarium products in the Pacific Islands: A review of the fisheries, management and trade.

Rhyne et al 2012. Revealing the Appetite of the Marine Aquarium Fish Trade: The Volume and Biodiversity of Fish Imported into the United States.

Rhyne et al 2014. Is sustainable exploitation of coral reefs possible? A view from the standpoint of the marine aquarium trade.

Rhyne et al 2017. Expanding our understanding of the trade in marine aquarium animals.

Tlusty 2002. The benefits and risks of aquacultural production for the aquarium trade.

Tlusty et al 2006. Yes fish need to be certified.

Tlusty et al 2023. Real-time automated species level detection of trade document systems to reduce illegal wildlife trade and improve data quality.

Case study

Sustainability of the marine ornamental fishery in Puerto Rico: Ecological aspects.

Presentations

CITES introductory presentation and Terms of Reference

Presentation on International trade in non-CITES listed marine ornamental fish (CoP19 Inf. 99  [Updated])

Presentation on  Extinction risk of marine bony fishes in the ornamental trade

Presentation on Global Trade in Marine Aquarium Fish

Presentation on Trade and management of marine aquarium fish in the Pacific 

Presentation on Evaluating Species at Risk in Data‐Limited Fisheries: A Comprehensive Productivity‐Susceptibility Analysis of the Most Traded Marine Aquarium Fish

Presentation on Developing an evidence-led species prioritisation framework

Presentation on Monitoring the marine ornamental fish trade to Europe with the European TRACES (TRade Control and Expert System) - An updated review from 2014-2021

Non-detriment findings for specimens of Appendix-II species taken from areas beyond national jurisdiction CICG (closed meeting), Geneva, Switzerland
25 - 26 April 2024

This technical workshop is organized in accordance with Decision 19.136 on Non-detriment findings for specimens of Appendix-II species taken from areas beyond national jurisdiction adopted by the Conference of the Parties to CITES at its 19th meeting (CoP19, Panama City, November 2022). The workshop will consider how non-detriment findings (NDFs) might best be achieved for the introduction from the sea of specimens of CITES Appendix II-listed commercially exploited aquatic organisms taken by multiple Parties in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

More details are available in Notification to the Parties No. 2024/025. The registration deadline has passed and all participants have been confirmed. No further participants are being accepted.

Date and time

The workshop will be held on 25-26 April 2024 from 09:00 - 17:00. On-site registration for participants will open on 25 April at 08:00.

Location

The workshop will be held in-person at Centre International de Conférences Genève (CICG) at Rue de Varembé 17, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland. 

Workshop documents

Logistics note

Provisional working programme (updated 17 April)

Provisional list of participants

Background document (Rev. 1)

Document - Level of trade in CITES-listed species taken from areas beyond national jurisdiction

Presentations

Presentation on requirements for specimens of Appendix-II species taken from ABNJ

Presentation on CITES NDF guidance for aquatic species (module 5)

Presentation on level of trade from ABNJ

Presentation on the background document

Presentation by New Zealand on Making NDFs for shortfin mako in ABNJ near New Zealand - A migratory species with shared stocks

Presentation by the United States of America on U.S. Approach to Making NDFs for Appendix-II Listed Sharks in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ)

Presentation by ICCAT Secretariat on Background and issues germane to sharks (Elasmobranchs) listed on CITES Appendices (ENG, FRA, ESP)

Presentation by IATTC Secretariat on Shark projects: ABNJ and other research

Presentation by DOALOS on the Fish Stocks Agreement and BBNJ Agreement   

In-session documents

Discussion questions

Outcomes

Recommendations

Relevant documents

CoP19 Doc. 43.2 (ENG, FRA, ESP)

Resolution Conf. 14.6 (Rev. CoP16) on Introduction from the sea (ENG, FRA, ESP)

CITES NDF guidance:

  • Module 0 - Introduction and preamble (V1.0)
  • Module 1 - Principles and concepts of NDFs (V1.0)
  • Module 2 - Practical considerations for making NDFs (V1.0)
  • Module 5 - NDFs for aquatic species (V1.0)

Frequently Asked Questions on introduction from the sea provisions in the Convention

Additional resources

Poster: NDFs for CITES-listed shark species harvested in U.S. waters of the Atlantic Ocean

Case study: applying scientific advice from Regional Fishery Bodies to develop a stock-specific NDF template for a CITES-listed shark species taken in ABNJs 

FAO publication: Data preparation to inform assessment and management approaches in data-limited fisheries.

Photos

CITES Flick Gallery

 

Aquatic species listed in the CITES Appendices CICG (closed meeting), Geneva, Switzerland
23 - 24 April 2024

This technical workshop is organized in accordance with Decision 19.189 on Aquatic species listed in the CITES Appendices adopted by the Conference of the Parties to CITES at its 19th meeting (CoP19, Panama City, November 2022). The workshop will consider the application of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17) on Criteria for amendment of Appendices I and II and footnote 2 found in Annex 5 to that Resolution, with regards to relevant commercially exploited Elasmobranchii and other aquatic species.

More details are available in Notification to the Parties No. 2024/024. The registration deadline has passed and all participants have been confirmed. No further participants are being accepted.

Date and time

The workshop will be held on 23-24 April 2024 from 09:00 - 17:00. On-site registration for participants will open on 23 April at 08:00.

Location

The workshop will be held in-person at Centre International de Conférences Genève (CICG) at Rue de Varembé 17, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland. 

Workshop documents

Logistics note

Provisional working programme (updated 17 April)

Provisional list of participants

Background document (Rev.) - Variability of life history parameters and productivity in elasmobranchs and other commercially exploited aquatic species

Document - Criteria for the amendment of Appendices I and II: Processes to date

Relevant documents

CoP19 Doc. 87.2 (ENG, FRA, SPA

Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17) on Criteria for amendment of Appendices I and II (ENG, FRA, SPA)

Presentations/statements 

Presentation on Processes to date on criteria for the amendment of Appendices and II

Presentation on document CoP19 Doc. 87.2 - Senegal

Presentation on background document (Variability of life history parameters and productivity in elasmobranchs and other commercially exploited aquatic species)

In-session document

Discussion question

Discussion summary

Outcomes

Observations and recommendations (Rev. 1) 

Additional resources

Second technical consultation on the suitability of the CITES criteria for listing commercially exploited aquatic species:

Photos

CITES Flickr Gallery